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Faiths of Trepheon
Trepheon is a continent that worships Spirits, incorpreal beings that are incarnations of mancy. There are many major religions that still affect Ludwag. Dahearism (Earth Spirit) The religion; named after the supposed prophet who started the religion, began as something of a cult in Dormian times but gained popularity afterwards in Trepheon. The religion worships earth spirits which are considered to be physical manifestations of the planet itself. The religion teaches that all beings are made from the earth and that there is an afterlife in a 'under-world' where souls are either rewarded or punished based on their actions on the surface. Earth spirits are also prayed to for intercession or simply to commune with the planet as it is believed only earth spirits are capable of doing so. Currently this religion is the official religion of the Central Kingdom in Trepheon. Terramancers and herbomancers are also considered the most favorable choices for priests and holy men as they are thought to be the most qualified to commune with earth spirits. Prayers are offered through pages on massive leather-bound tomes which are collected in temples and buried by priests. The Divine Wind (Air Spirit) The Divine Wind is a religion practised nearly exclusively by the Eastern Kingdom in Trepheon, which espouses the belief that an air spirit far more powerful than any other spirit known as The Divine Wind exists and is the protector of the people of Azura, being in control of the wind and air. It is also believed that The Divine Wind chose the Easterners as its chosen people and is the one who guided Eastern ships to the various islands that created their empire, as well as the belief that the Eastern empress is divine and their mandates blessed by The Divine Wind, with the first ruler Shia Shotaro considered the first one to be blessed by The Divine and the one that lead the Easterners to their land. However, it is also widely believed that the fall of the Easterners' empire was caused by a lack of faith and corruption of the people, with many priestesses presently attempting to engage the people of the East and bring them back to the path of righteousness in order to restore their favour with The Divine Wind. The clergy of this faith is largely composed of women, and whilst the Empress is considered the arm of justice and protection of faith, the Eastern Matriarch who resides in the island fortress of Kazena is the head of the religion and believed to be in direct contact with the Divine Wind. The Matriarch, traditionally, is a former Empress who will decide after reigning for 20 years whether they will ascend to Matriarchy. If the Empress dies before having the chance to become a Matriarch, the position runs to the heir's sister. However, if the heir does not have a sister, then it is considered a sign from the Divine Wind that the Kingdom's faith is not strong enough to be in direct contact with the spirits. Aguaraism (Water Spirit) This religion first started in the Western Kingdom from sailors who claim to have experienced holy revelations while on voyages. The main beliefs of the religion include the belief that eventually the entire planet will be submerged by the god known as Aguara and that only the faithful and holy will survive, as well as the belief that the souls of the wicked will be drowned while the righteous will be reincarnated until the day the world floods and they will be ultimately saved. The religion rejects the idea of worldly wealth and encourages the forgoing of worldly corruptions such as greed and selfishness and encourages humility and honor, with these beliefs serving to give the impoverished peasantry of the West a sense of hope and purpose in a world where they have little. The religion states that a messenger of Aguara exists and it's soul reincarnates when it dies, the religion has spread widely with no real structure and effectively anyone willing to give up worldly wealth allowed to be priests. Though in the West where this religion originates it is widely looked down upon by the aristocracy and mocked as nothing more than peasant superstition.